Thursday night’s battle on the Food Network’s, “Beat Bobby Flay,” ended with a new reigning chef, Kelvin Fernandez. His weapon of choice? His signature arepa.
New York Native, Chef Kelvin became the first Latino chef to beat Chef Bobby Flay on the show. Flay, a culinary legend, has now been defeated five times in the four seasons of the show.
“This opportunity is one that you dream of. I grew up watching and knowing of Chef Bobby Flay, and dreaming to be in his shoes one day,” said Fernandez. “I never thought I would be beating him in a kitchen battle with my signature dish that represents my Latin culture. The entire experience is definitely one I can cross off my bucket list.”
The winning signature dish included a crispy arepa with steak, lime scented sour cream, creamy guacamole, pico de gallo and Cotija cheese. Flay cooked a stuffed arepa with pork.
Fernandez is the Executive Chef of the restaurant, “La Marina” in New York City. He has also cooked for many celebrities like John Legend, 50 cent, Dascha Polanco, and Henry Santos.
The Dominican chef began his career when he was 24 years old. He was named one of the “30 under 30” in food and wine by Forbes magazine and he was runner up on season 14 of the Food Network’s “Chopped.” He is also the youngest executive chef in New York City's fine dining scene.
--Kelly Carrion
